Apologetic David Warner resigned to never playing for Australia again

SYDNEY: A distraught David Warner issued an abject apology for his role in the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal on Saturday and said he was resigned to the prospect of never playing cricket for Australia again after his 12-month ban.

In a fourth highly emotional media conference in three days involving the Australian cricket team, the former vice-captain struggled to fight back the tears as he read a prepared statement in which he said his actions had been “inexcusable”.

“There’s a tiny ray of hope that I may one day be given the privilege of playing for my country again but I’m resigned to the fact that that may never happen again,” the 31-year-old told reporters at the Sydney Cricket Ground. “In the coming weeks and months I’m going to look at how this happened and who I am as a man. I will seek out advice and expertise to help me make serious changes.”

Former captain Steve Smith, who gave his own emotional media conference on Thursday, also received a year’s ban and batsman Cameron Bancroft was suspended for nine months for their part in last Saturday’s incident, which has rocked Australia. Coach Darren Lehmann was also reduced to tears when he announced on Thursday he would be stepping down after the South Africa series because of the scandal.